The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-11
Mr.. Hnrrls,a hpeech.

III "EELLoMC1rlHkNs ~ THE OOUkTr OF
4 GIBSON vi thank tue gentleman Tor his
request that you hear me- because OF
\ the fact that / am gentleman, and
assure you II you win but listen TO me
q little while, you will willingly hear
me for my caaee. i esteem IL n pleas
!. ure to address you upon q question
haught with 10 much Of moment and
interest 10 the peope, aud shall not
reeort to petty snecdo.e or miserable
demagogery, neither ehall 1 appeal to
passion, prejudice or Ignorance, bul
shall rather address myself TO the
reason and intelligence Il q fall. mind
I'D people, and leave you TO decide
which aide OF tits vtxed aud vexing
question lie right and which is wrong.
Holding Il tbs duty Of public speak
or 10 deal fairly and frankly with his
audience, shall conceal nothing from
you, but shall alone strive TO lay bsIe
the iallacies Of this tcheme to foist
upon the Consultation ga amendment
which, in my jud. ment, will prove
calamilous 10 the State.
"My irield (Mr. rnomas) tells you
prohibition 10 a political q iest.on, and
Shen, with the usual consistency, pro-
oeeds TO argue ~ M moral and reiig-
4 ious question. lie advocates treat Il
vaiiou,ly-as religious, moral or polit-
ical. / humbly submit it cannot be-
successfully maintained as slther. Ia
viewing II from religious htandpoini,
We naturally refer 90 the gospel for
authority, where We fad the fret mir.
acle the Master Nro SHIT was st 4
marriage feast In UauA VI Gallilee,
where He changed water into wine,
after the guests we're well under the
Influence Of drink, and that he com.
mended this wine 10 the lipe OF others,
and thal the governor oil the feast pro-
nounced II the best vine, when i
know 10 wac, yea, this best the word
ever saw, for ali His acts weresuperior
10 those Of men, and nothing which
came from His lips or hands was Of an
I~inferior character. He also madeclear
and pronounced the ference between
His method and that Of the Naxsrite,
John the Baptist, by saying that
John came neither eating nor drink.
ing.' The Son OF Man came eating
and drinking. While drunkenness wAa
severely condemned, Hs never once
oondemned drinking; 10 the contrary,
He undoubtedly drank vine himself,
and simply snjolned the moderate use
thereoi In others, and left its sacred use
70 bis followers nj tie tacfamentsl
board, the mes, solemn service Of Hif
church BE ye temp rate In ali
thinsr,' Gays the Master. and lie
meant II 10 apply 10 meat, drink,
thought, speech NJ d action, al, toe
one as inlly 40 the other. How
we'll IL would be- for some Of ouI
prohibition friends 10 bear In
mind this tex Tue world was more
corrupt, more dsbauched In the Mas
ter's day than now, Drunkenness wa
more common in Gallilte then than
Ia Tennessee today, and yet He did
not Get his lace sgsinst drinking, clear
ly recognising the true line II deEark'
alton In the abuse, not The use, OF the
article, There wers total abstinence
societies ther, yet he gave them moi
his approval. To the contrary, when,
on q certain occasion, the PbariBeee
and Saducees, some OF whom were
for total abstinence, approached Him,
He exclaimed, who hath warned
you OF the wrath 90 come, 20 genera.
lion OF yipersr II drinking be evil
per 90 now, II was In II Q day. II u
should be- prohibited today, !, should
have been then. II ain nov, sin then
neither sin then nor nov. since Christ
could do no sin. He kingdom wa
lone Of love Man was endowed with
the knowledge Of good and evil-righ!
nom wrong-made Q free agent, and
bed morally responsible 10 God ior
Abe deeds done Ia the flesh. Az he
wake the earth In The image OF bis
Maker be must overcome the tempta'
0ops besettipg his path by and through
uQvIpg faith In the atoning blood ol
80 Lord and IA vior Jesus Christ, sed
tn4 importing grace which ls boun.